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The BTB/POZ (broad-complex, tramtrack, and bric-a-brac) family of proteins is widespread in plants and animals and plays important roles in growth, development, metabolism, and environmental responses. There are few reports on BTB family genes in potato. In this study, 34 sequences containing conserved BTB domains were obtained from the potato gene database, and the phylogenetic, physical, and chemical properties, gene structure, conserved motif, domain, and chromosomal localization of the potato BTB protein family were analyzed via bioinformatics methods. In addition, we used qRT-PCR to detect 12 selected StBTB genes. The results confirmed that these genes are involved in cold, ABA, salt, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), drought, and low-nitrogen stress, which is highly important for elucidating BTB family members and studying stress response and tolerance mechanisms. This study provides a theoretical basis for the study of the function and expression of potato BTB and lays a solid foundation for further understanding the molecular mechanism of the potato BTB gene under various environmental stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) play important regulatory roles in plant growth development and abiotic stress tolerance. However, the biological roles of these genes in response to low-nitrate (LN) stress in potato plants have not been determined. Here, we reported that StCIPK23 was expressed mainly in roots and leaves. StCIPK23 was located mainly in the cell membrane, nucleus, and cytoplasm. Further research suggested that, compared with wild-type (WT) plants, StCIPK23-overexpressing plants were taller and had significantly greater nitrate and ammonium nitrogen contents under LN stress. StCIPK23 overexpression can increase StAT, StNRT2.1, StNR, StGS1-3, and StGOGAT expression levels in StCIPK23 transgenic seedlings compared to those in WT plants under LN stress. The results of yeast two-hybrid and luciferase complementation imaging experiments suggested that StCIPK23 could interact with StCBL3. Real-time reverse transcription–PCR revealed the StCIPK23 expression level peaked at 6 h and the StCBL3 expression level peaked at 9 h in the roots under LN stress. In conclusion, we found that StCIPK23 and StCBL3 form a complex to regulate the expression of key genes in the nitrogen metabolism pathway to improve LN tolerance in potato plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tobacco is a critical cash crop in China, so its growing status has received more and more attention. How to acquire accurate plant area, row spacing, and plant spacing at the same time have been key points for its grow status monitoring and yield prediction. However, accurately detecting small and densely arranged tobacco plants during the rosette stage poses a significant challenge. In Sichuan Province, the contours of scattered tobacco fields with different shapes are not well-extracted. Additionally, there is a lack of simultaneous methods for extracting crucial tobacco planting information, including area, row spacing, and plant spacing. In view of the above scientific problems, we proposed a method to extract the planting information of tobacco at the rosette stage with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote sensing images. A detection model, YOLOv8s-EFF, was constructed for the small and weak tobacco in the rosette stage. We proposed an extraction algorithm for tobacco field area based on extended contours for different-shaped fields. Meanwhile, a planting distance extraction algorithm based on tobacco coordinates was presented. Further, four experimental areas were selected in Sichuan Province, and image processing and sample label production were carried out. Four isolated tobacco fields with different shapes in four experimental areas were used to preliminarily verify the effectiveness of the model and algorithm proposed. The results show that the precision ranges of tobacco field area, row spacing, and plant spacing were 96.51~99.04%, 90.08~99.74%, and 94.69~99.15%, respectively. And another two experimental areas, Jiange County, Guangyuan, and Dazhai County, Gulin County, and Luzhou, were selected to evaluate the accuracy of the method proposed in the research in practical application. The results indicate that the average accuracy of tobacco field area, row spacing, and plant spacing extracted by this method reached 97.99%, 97.98%, and 98.31%, respectively, which proved the extraction method of plant information is valuable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen is one of the most important elements for improving potato yield. However, excessive application of nitrogenous fertilizer not only produces river and other environmental pollution but also increases agricultural production costs. In recent years, to explain the molecular mechanisms of nitrogen metabolites, some vital genes involved have been reported; however, only limited success has been achieved in potato. Here, we report that the expression of cytosolic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (StGAPC1) is increased under low-nitrogen stress. StGAPC1-overexpressing potato seedlings had more biomass and a significant increase in total nitrogen content and root nitrate influx rate compared to the wild type. The overexpression of StGAPC1 also increased the expression of nitrate transporters and increased ROS system activity to reduce hydrogen peroxide content under low-nitrogen stress. Our results provide a foundation for further research on StGAPC1 function in nitrogen absorption and utilization mechanisms in potato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adenylate kinase (ADK) is a key enzyme that is widely distributed in animals and plants. It plays an important role in growth and stress response. However, ADK genes in potato (StADK) have been little reported. It is of great significance to identify ADK members and understand the molecular mechanism of stress response and tolerance. Based on the potato genome data, 23 StADK genes were identified at a genome-wide level. We then performed a comprehensive study using a bioinformatics method. The results of the evolutionary tree showed that StADK proteins were divided into four groups, and they were highly homologous to the Arabidopsis thaliana ADK members. Meanwhile, our study found that they existed on eight chromosomes, and we obtained three pairs of fragment duplications. Furthermore, we detected the six selected StADK genes using qRT-PCR, and the results confirmed that the genes are involved in the regulation of cold, ABA, salt, H2O2 and drought stresses. Our study provides a theoretical basis for studying the function of the potato ADK genes and lays a solid foundation for further understanding the molecular mechanism of the potato ADK genes under various environmental stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato tubers are rich in starch, vitamins, protein, minerals, and other nutrients. However, tuber sprouting produces solanine and reduces the commodity value of potatoes during storage. At present, it is known that some plant essential oils can inhibit tuber sprouting. It has been reported that grape seed oil (GSO) has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer characteristics, reducing blood lipids and delaying aging. In this study, we found for the first time that GSO delayed tuber sprouting, and the soluble sugar content and peroxidase activity changed after 60 days of GSO treatment. Furthermore, a comparative proteomic analysis of tuber bud eyes showed that after 30 days of GSO treatment, there were 206 and 129 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) with increased and decreased abundance levels, respectively. After analysis, we found that 15 ROS-related proteins and 14 proteins involved in energy metabolism were DAPs. Among them, gamma aminobutyrate transaminase 1 had decreased abundance after GSO treatment. Meanwhile, the transcription level of genes related to GABA synthesis increased significantly according to qRT-PCR analysis. Our results provide new approaches to the proteomic mechanism of potato sprouting after GSO treatment and provide a theoretical basis for the application of GSO in inhibiting potato seed sprouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Temperature dependent in-situ Raman spectroscopy was applied to study the structure of coals at high temperature. Raman spectroscopy can be used to record the characteristic spectra of carbonaceous materials. The D and G bands are the most popular and most important spectral characteristics when discussing carbonaceous materials. In this paper, a Raman spectroscopic study of different coals was first carried out using a 355 nm wavelength laser beam as an excitation source. The spectral parameters of the resultant spectra were evaluated and analyzed. Raman spectral characteristics of different kinds of coals were explored. The high temperature-dependent Raman spectra of the coals were further collected in a temperature range from 298 to 1473 K in order to investigate the transformations of the internal structure of the coals during the pyrolysis process. An abnormal blue shift of the G band occurred at moderate temperature (600–900 K), and the intensity of the G band became weaker at high temperatures, indicating pyrolysis and graphitization of the sample at moderate and high temperature, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ high-temperature Raman spectra of polycrystalline KBi(MoO4)2 were recorded from room temperature to 1073 K. Thermal stability of the monoclinic KBi(MoO4)2 was examined by temperature-dependent XRD. The monoclinic phase transformed into the scheelite tetragonal structure at 833 K, and then to the monoclinic phase at 773 K. Quantum chemistry ab initio calculation was performed to simulate the Raman spectra of the structure of KBi(MoO4)2 high-temperature melt. The experimental Raman band at 1023 K was deconvoluted into seven Gaussian peaks, and the calculated results were in good agreement with the experimental data. Therefore, the vibrational modes of Raman peaks of molten KBi(MoO4)2 were assigned. It was confirmed that the isolated structure of [Bi(MoO4)2]− monomer, consisting of Mo6+ centers and Bi3+ sub-centers connected by edge-sharing, mainly exists in the melt of KBi(MoO4)2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the effective utilization of the abundant high-alumina iron ores with low iron grade, the influence of alumina concentration and type on high-temperature characteristics was clarified based on the analyses of eight typical iron ores. The results indicate that high-temperature characteristics of iron ores in various alumina types are different. Higher Al2O3 concentration is deleterious to assimilability and liquid phase fluidity, but the influence extent of each alumina type is substantially different. Kaolinite (Al2O3·2SiO2·2H2O) contributes to correspondingly better assimilability, followed by hercynite (Fe(Fe, Al)2O4), gibbsite (Al(OH)3), diaspore (AlO(OH)), and free state alumina (Al2O3) in turn. Diaspore promotes relatively higher liquid phase fluidity, followed by kaolinite, free state alumina, and hercynite, while gibbsite possesses the maximum adverse impact. Kaolinite and hercynite are more beneficial to form dendritic or acicular silico-ferrite of calcium and alumina (SFCA) with high strength due to the better reactivity, and gibbsite and diaspore lead to more formation of relatively lower strength lamellar or tabular SFCA, while free state alumina is preferable to form disseminated SCFA with rather poorer strength. Kaolinite and hercynite are the most desirable alumina types for sintering rather than free state alumina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminum (SFCA) is one of the most commonly-produced phases in fluxed iron-ore sintering, and has long been regarded as an important bonding phase in industrial sinters. It is thus considered to have a significant effect on sinter quality. In this study, a solid solution model and database has been developed for the SFCA phase, and has been incorporated into the thermodynamic software, Multi-Phase Equilibrium (MPE). MPE calculations were compared with the in situ X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) observations of the formation of SFCA phase during sintering. The effects of the raw material composition, temperature and the oxygen partial pressure on the formation of mineral phases in the sinter, as well as the viscosity of the melt formed during sintering under equilibrium conditions, were modelled using MPE. The results show that the formation of SFCA phase can be promoted by increasing oxygen partial pressure and basicity of the raw material. Increases of Al2O3 and MgO content have no significant effect on the SFCA formation under equilibrium condition. The increase of oxygen partial pressure (10−3 atm or above) and basicity also leads to a decrease in melt viscosity, which enhances the fluidity of the melt, and hence, the assimilation of the sinter. However, increases of Al2O3 and MgO result in the increase of melt viscosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In situ high temperature X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the temperature dependent micro-structure of KAlF4. Density functional theory was applied to simulate the structure of crystalline KAlF4 while a quantum chemistry ab initio simulation was performed to explore the structure of molten KAlF4. Two crystal polymorphs demonstrated to be present in solid KAlF4. At the temperature below 673 K, it belongs to the tetragonal crystal system within the P4/mbm space group, while the high temperature phase is attributed to the monoclinic crystal system within the P21/m space group. Both polymorph KAlF4 phases are characterized by a layered structure consisting of K+ and [AlF6]3− octahedra, each of the [AlF6]3− octahedra equivalently shares four corners with other four [AlF6]3− octahedra along the layer. The layered structure became unstable at higher temperatures and crashed when the temperature exceeded the melting point. It demonstrated that the molten KAlF4 consisted of predominant [AlF4]− and a small amount of [AlF6]3−. The Raman spectrum of molten KAlF4 simulated by using a quantum chemistry ab initio method agreed well with the experimental Raman spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent interest in optimizing composition and synthesis conditions of functional crystals, and the further exploration of new possible candidates for tunable solid-state lasers, has led to significant research on compounds in this family M I M III (M VI O₄)₂ (M I = alkali metal, M III = Al, In, Sc, Fe, Bi, lanthanide; M VI = Mo, W). The vibrational modes, structure transformation, and Al coordination of crystalline, glassy, and molten states of KAl(MoO₄)₂ have been investigated by in-situ high temperature Raman scattering and 27 Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) spectroscopy, together with first principles density functional simulation of room temperature Raman spectrum. The results showed that, under the present fast quenching conditions, Al is present predominantly in [AlO₆] octahedra in both KAl(MoO₄)₂ glass and melt, with the tetrahedrally coordinated Al being minor at approximately 2.7%. The effect of K⁺, from ordered arrangement in the crystal to random distribution in the melt, on the local chemical environment of Al, was also revealed. The distribution and quantitative analysis of different Al coordination subspecies are final discussed and found to be dependent on the thermal history of the glass samples.